Danby Township has leaped its first hurdle toward enabling residents to purchase flood insurance from the FEMA-run National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) at reduced rates.

The Ionia County Board of Commissioners approved a resolution and intergovernmental agreement with Danby Township to manage its floodplain development at its Tuesday afternoon meeting.

"Congratulations for taking a proactive and thoughtful route," board chair Julie Calley said to Danby Township resident and trustee Gary Reisbig after the vote.

The board took similar action on behalf of the village of Lyons in May.

Reisbig told commissioners their action affects 10 "livable" dwellings and eight outbuildings on eight parcels of property, covering a total of 55 acres.

"It's not a lot, but people in this community would appreciate it," Reisig said.

Those residents may be eligible to purchase flood insurance if certain requirements are met. One is the local municipality must agree to adopt and enforce a floodplain management ordinance to reduce future flood risks to new construction in flood hazard areas and enforce building codes.

If a community does not participate in the NFIP, insurance companies are not allowed to write policies for that community and lending institutions cannot issue mortgages within that flood hazard area.

"Congratulations for taking the bull by the horns, so residents close to water can get flood insurance," said Larry Tiejema, commissioner from District #2.

Commissioners also voted 4-2 to approve spending $14,175 to renovate a men's bathroom in the Ionia County Courthouse.

County Facilities Manager Don Ransom told the board that the restroom flooring is "shot," the room is crowded and difficult to clean, and the amount of work to be done will have to be accomplished after regular work hours, which also increases the cost. He had budgeted $11,000 for the project, but the three bids received came in higher than anticipated. He said he found the additional money needed from "closed accounts" in his department.

Renovation will make the restroom as ADA-compliant as possible, he said, by removing all but one toilet and one urinal. The doorway may or may not allow for a wheelchair-user to enter, but the doorway cannot be widened because the courthouse is an historical building.

"Handicapped accessibility is not just wheelchairs," Ransom said in responding to District #4 Commissioner Brenda Cowling-Cronk's question about spending more than $14,000 to make a restroom ADA-compliant, while a person using a wheelchair still would not be able to use it. "We're not meeting (ADA) 100 percent, but we do offer a 100-percent one downstairs. We're trying to meet as much of the code as we can."

Ransom added that he has looked at other restrooms in the building, and said they require more minor upgrades, such as new sinks, toilets, mirrors and paper dispensers.

When Calley asked County Administrator Stephanie Hurlbut for her input, Hurlbut responded, "I don't recommend spending $14,000 on a bathroom."

Page 2 of 2 - "I don't think we have a choice," said James Banks, commissioner from District #3, adding that the work will cost more the longer the county waits to do it.

During the final public comment, Diane Adams, the county's register of deeds, expressed disagreement with the plan "on behalf of the women employees."

Adams said the women's restroom was last wallpapered in 1988 by a staff member in the deeds office, and despite the women asking for upgrades, "it just sits there year after year." She challenged Ransom's premise that all the other restrooms in the courthouse need only minor changes.